Laundry marking machine



Feb. 27, 1945. FAUST 2,370,152

LAUNDRY MARKING MACHINE Filed June 12, 1942 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. V ALEXANOER L FAusr Feb. 27, 1945. A. L. FA'UST 2,370,152

LAUNDRY MARKING MACHINE Filed June 12, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm INVENTOR.

ALEXANDER Aflwsr A 7 TORNE x Patented Feb. 27, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

The invention relates to the art of fabric marking, for example, as used in the identification of articles of laundry. More particularly the invention relates to a machine for applying to the goods, by printing or by impressing thereon, suitable identifying characters or marks either with visible or invisible ink, being particularly adapted for the use of the latter ink in that it may accommodate large-size type.

The invention has for an object to provide a manually operated machine of this type which shall be of simple and relatively inexpensive construction and ready assembly, with a consequent low cost of mechanical maintenance; also, to enable operation by unskilled labor due to its novel manual typesetting arrangement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a marking machine wherein individual type elements may readily be installed and removed and wherein, furthermore, the same are automatically locked in position when the machine is operated for marking the goods.

The invention has for an object, also, the provision of a combined goods-support and operating member for actuating the machine in marking the goods.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel type element which cooperates with a locking member for securing automatically a type element in locked position in its holder prior to the marking therewith, and whereby, also, a more effective marking is secured.

A still further object of the invention is to provide inking means for automatically inking the type prior to making an impression therewith, whereupon the said means is automatically removed from the path of travel of the type.

In carrying out the invention, a suitable type head or holder member is fixedly carried at one end of a rockably mounted frame immediately above an inking member for individual type ele ments or a die carried by the holder, said inking member being pivotally supported on the rockable frame. The type head or holder affords a pocket slotted at the bottom to receive a printing member and to permit the same to project through the slot, preferably to contact normally a pad of the inking member. A type member is designed to be automatically locked in position in the head orholder upon operation of the machine for marking, as by means of backing slide assembly which is movable toward and away from a member. When individual type are utilized, the same are of novel construction embodying an angular bracket affording horizontal and vertical portions designed to cooperate with the slide. Provision is' made, furthermore, for a combined goods-support or manual presser bar and safety guard, serving to effect the operation of the machine in the marking of the goods through manual downward pressure upon the said bar.

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation view of the novel marking machine; and Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2 of the drawings, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the marking machine with a portion thereof shown in section.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 3 of the drawings, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the'novel type element utilized in the marking machine, and Fig. 7 is an underneath plan view thereof.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary transverse section on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 8-8, Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the novel machine is shown as mounted on a suitable support including the base plate I0 and a pair of uprights II or standards and the posts 13 and 14. Betweeen the uprights II is mounted a transverse spindle l5 afiording a fulcrum for a printing frame comprising the two levers 16 mounted thereon along opposite sides of the machine parallel to each other and at an angle to the uprights ll. Springs I! are attached to the respective lower ends of the levers 16, which are connected by a spindle l8, and said springs serve to hold normally the upper ends of the levers above a platen member 20. This platen is made yieldable through studs 2| extending downwardly therefrom into sockets 22 in which are set springs 23 tending to force the platen upwardly through contact with the respective inner ends of the studs to accommodate different thicknesses of goods as well as to cushion the contact and avoid shock.

At its upper end, the levers l6 support a head or type-holding member 25 which is fixed thereto to move downwardly with the lever to juxtapose a die or, as shown, individual type elements secured in the holder, in printing relation to the surface of the platen 20 when the machine is operated, as hereinafter set forth. Holder 25 is provided with a pocket 26 having a bottom longitudinal slot 21 with spacer lugs 21, a block 28 of a type element or die fitting the slot between spacer lugs and affording the desired identification mark or marks 29 on its under surface.

A type block 28 is carried by a right-angle bracket having the horizontal portion 30 and vertical portion 3|, to prevent the block from falling through the slot and to afford means also whereby a type element is locked in its position in the holder during the marking operation. To this end, a slide or backing member 32 for the type is provided and is designed to be moved away from and toward type in the holder, being checked in its outward movement by. contact with portion 3| of a type element or by the ends 33 of lateral slots or ways 34 provided in the walls of levers I6, or, preferably, by bars 34' displaced from the upper edges of the respective levers. A cross-bar 35 of the slide extends through and fits the corresponding ways 34 to guide the slide in its backward and forwardmovements. When a type element is not in use, it may be suspended on a'suitable rack (not shown) through engagement of a perforation 3! located in the vertical portion 3i of its supporting bracket. When located in the holder, the face of the type, in the particular embodiment shown, rests on the surface of an inking pad. The face of the type, moreover, is unique in that the under surface of a block'28 is provided with small recesses 28 and the marking portions 29 also perforated transversely at 29', if desired. By this expedient, additional ink is accumulated and stored when the type elements are in contact with the ink pad, the additional ink then being .supplied to the goods during the printing with said type to provide for a more distinct and permanent identification mark thereon.

Slide 32 is normally urged outwardly toward the corresponding type elements by means of a compression spring 36 coiled about a rod 3'! passing diametrically through the spindle l and oscillatable therewith, the spring 36 being retained between said spindle and the inner end of the slide body. The slide, which is manually retractable is designed to be locked in a retracted position, against the pressure of spring 36, to

clear the type elements as mounted in the pocket 26. This may be accomplished by providing in the oppositely disposed levers l6 respective springurged detents each comprising, for example, a ball 38 which is designed to fit a corresponding socket 39 provided in the underface of crossbar 35 and at opposite ends thereof.

When thus retracted as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the desired type may readily be installed manually in the holder; and provision is made to lock the same automatically in position, by means of the slide 32, when it is desired to mark goods by contact with said type against the platen 20. To this end, there-is provided over the said platen a manual presser bar or the like including lateral pieces 49 extending above the said platen on which the material to be marked may be supported during the marking operation. The latter is effected by exerting downward pressure, as by means of the operators hands upon the side pieces 40 which thus locate the hands in a safe position. The presser bar member extends inwardly of the machine outside of the uprights H to theinner ends of the respective levers l6, being fulcrumed to the posts I3. Thus, when pressure is exerted on'the pieces 49, the inner ends of the presser member engage in corresponding slots ll of the levers l6 elevating said ends and depressing the opposite ends, together with the type holder and type, as indicated by the broken-line position, Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Before contact is had between the goods and platen, the projecting end 42 of rod 3'! is engaged by a nose 43 of the arm 44 of a bell crank lever fulcrumed on the post [4 between the levers 16. The opposite arm 45 of this bell crank lever is bifurcated and receives the spindle 18 so that when the said spindle is elevated with the corresponding ends of levers :5, the bell crank will be accordingly rocked to cause its nose 43 to engage the projecting end 42, thereby disengaging the slide from detents 38. The slide then advances through ways 34 over the type element under the influence of spring 36, with its lower horizontal portion 50 riding over the horizontal portion 30 of a type element and its vertical portion 5! contacting the vertical poi tion 3! of said type element. This securely retains the type element in position during the marking operation.

During this forward motion of the slide, an inking member 55 for the type and pivoted to the forward ends of the respective levers I6 is displaced from its contact with the face of the type or is caused to contact the same and then clear the type before it descends for contact with the platen 2B. As shown, the inking member 55 is mounted below the type holder, that is to say, between the same and the platen 20; and arms 56 extend therefrom upon the opposite side of its fulcrum 5'1. A spindle 58 connects the ends of these arms above levers it, said spindle being connected with the arm $4 of the bell crank.

lever by a pitznan or connecting rod 58. A movement of this bell crank when the presser member is actuated is thus communicated to the inking member 55 to swing the same inwardly out of the path of travel of the descending type; and upon release of the presser member, returns to its normal position, as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

I claim:

1. A laundry marking machine, comprising a supporting frame, a printing frame rockably mounted therein, a type holder fixed to one end of the printing frame including a type pocket with bottom slot and a backing slide movable away from and toward the slot, a platen adapted to cooperate with type retained in the holder, said type projecting through the bottom slot of the holder, a reciprocable spring-urged rod attached to the said slide to advance the same toward the slot to lock the type, yieldable detent means to hold the slide in retracted position for freeing the type, and movable means for actuating the printing frame to bring the type into contact with the platen, said means including an element designed to contact the rod for releasing the slide when the movable means is operated.

2. The laundry marking machine of claim 1, wherein type separating means are provided in the bottom slot of the type pocket.

'3. The laundry marking machine of claim 1, wherein a combined goods support and operating lever affords at its forward-portion side pieces normally elevated above the platen, said pieces being designed to receive the goods and to be depressed manually, the opposite end of said operating lever engaging the rockable printing frame to depress its type end.

4. The laundry marking machine'of claim 1, wherein the backing slide is movable in lateral ways of the printing frame member and springurged detents carried by the printing frame are adapted to engage said backing slide and retain the same temporarily in retracted position with respect to the pocket.

5. The laundry marking machin of claim 1. wherein the type is adapted to fit within the holder to project through the bottom thereof and each type element includes an angle bracket fixed thereto having a horizontal portion and a vertical portion, the cooperating backing slide of the type holder having a horizontal portion and a vertical portion adapted respectively to ride over the said horizontal portion and to contact the said vertical portion of the bracket.

6. The laundry marking machine of claim 1, wherein a finger piece projects upwardly from the slide above the holder for manually retracting said slide.

'7. The laundry marking machine of claim 1, wherein the rod passes diametrically through a rockable spindle of the frame and a compression spring is mounted about the rod between the spindle and backing slide to advance the latter normally toward the slot to lock the type.

8. A laundry marking machine, comprising a supporting frame, a frame rockably mounted therein, a type holder member movable with said rockably mounted frame, a manually retractable slide'member movably mounted in the frame to move away from and toward the type holder member and spring-urged in a direction for engagement with type thereof to back up type for printing therefrom, yieldable detent means to hold the slide member in retracted position, and means actuated by movement of the said rock'ably mounted frame to release automatically the slide member When in retracted position.

9. The laundry marking machine of claim 8, wherein the releasing means is normally disengaged from the slide member.

10. The laundry marking machine of claim 8, wherein the releasing means includes bell-crank mechanism.

ALEXANDER L. FAUST. 

